Powered and trailed vehicles are conventionally interconnected for travel by coupling hitches involving fixed locations on the vehicles. Using ball and socket-type universal connections or pin-type connections, the required relative movement during travel is provided. The fixed locations, however, may be difficult to effect, particularly with large vehicles that prevent ready manual alignment for final coupling. When accurate alignment is not obtained, conventionally the towed vehicle is manually moved to proper position, which may require strength, dexterity and multiple personnel, often with an attendant risk of injury. As the tongue weight of a towed vehicle increases, the skill required and risk associated with coupling the towed vehicle to a towing vehicle may be substantially increased. The problem may be particularly troublesome for large steerable wheel trailers, such as those employed by the military.
Telescoping and pivoting hitches have been proposed to allow coupling between misaligned vehicles. Most are designed for lighter weight trailers and unsuited for heavy load applications. Others provide only a length-dependent articulation reducing the accommodated zone of vehicle misalignment.
After market trailer hitch systems have been available for some time for vehicles such as pickup trucks. These systems conventionally are mounted to a truck frame using brackets that can be coupled to the frame of a truck. Unfortunately, the truck bumper is often required to be removed, and a replacement bumper, typically of universal application, is installed with the hitch assembly. For cost reasons and aesthetic reasons, many vehicle owners do not want to replace their bumpers when installing a trailer hitch.
In addition, the mounting structures of some after market trailer hitch systems utilize transverse structural members that may interfere with the spare tire storage location of many conventional pickup trucks, and may inhibit removal of a spare tire from the storage location. As such, these devices may require the spare tire to be removed and relocated to another area of the vehicle. For various reasons including convenience, vehicle owners may not want to have to relocate a spare tire to another vehicle location.